A FUNDING boost for local groups is helping to provide everything from inflatable gymnastics equipment to woodworking workshops.

As the closing date for Community Champions nominations for the south of Glasgow approaches, two of our campaign partners are celebrating helping distribute more than £200,000 to fantastic projects across the city.

Glasgow City Council and Glasgow Community Planning Partnership asked people in all 21 of the city’s Area Partnerships to put forward proposals for funding, through a process known as community or participatory budgeting.

Each community had up to £10,000 in grant funding from Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government to spend and the final decisions on what got the go-ahead were taken by public vote at a series of community budgeting events this week.

Councillor Soryia Siddique, Executive Member for Citizens and Communities, said: “This is the first time the council has held such a large number of events across the city to enable local people to have a greater input into how services are developed and delivered in their area.

“More than 100 local projects and groups from across Glasgow will benefit from this money and this, in turn, will help thousands of people, of all ages, improve their quality of life.”

She added: “From purchasing sports, IT or outdoor play equipment, to running training or organising special community events it’s the local people that have decided how best to use the money.

“What is needed in one area may not be the same for another and that’s why it’s important that we ask people how they’d like to see funding spent, where the gaps are in service provision and what’s needed.

“I’m pleased with the level of support and engagement we experienced during out first ever community budgeting event and this is something that we’ll look to carry on in the future.”

For a full list of the projects which will receive funding, visit this link

https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=19305

There are just two days left to nominate your Community Champions for the south of Glasgow heat.

The closing date is Wednesday, May 4 – so if you have not yet told us all about men, women and children you think deserve to win, now is the time to do it.

In partnership with Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Community Planning Partnership, Glasgow Housing Association, Scottish Fire and Rescue and Police Scotland, we are looking for entries across eight categories - and the winners will be announced on June 21.

We welcome entries from all of the southern communities of Glasgow, from Shawlands to Queen's Park, Langside to Pollok and Govan to Penilee.

You can nominate someone you know, or yourself, in any of the following categories - Team Award, Individual Award, Public Services Award, Uniformed Services Award, Senior Award, Young Award, Health and Wellbeing Award and Sports Award.

To nominate or find out more, log on to www.eveningtimesevents.com/community champs/ or call Cheryl Risk on 0141 302 7410.